


Why Worry

by Anal_Bead_Lamp



Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, But also part of a SWAT team???, Cute Uchiha Sasuke, Depressed!Naruto, Detective!Ino, Detective!Kiba, Detective!Naruto, Fluff and Angst, I'll tag the chapter, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Insane Orochimaru, M/M, Naruto Smokes, Naruto is a basic bitch and doesn't like sweets, Naruto is a mellow fellow, Naruto swears, Nothing explicit yet, Police Captain!Kakashi, SWAT!Neji, Sasuke Has A Sweet Tooth, Sasuke is a precious cinnamon roll, and he likes tomatoes, but he's a slut for tea, he needs to be protected by Naruto, mute!sasuke, sad nerds in love, the angst won't even make you cry, the smut will be in much later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-05-25 07:00:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6185140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anal_Bead_Lamp/pseuds/Anal_Bead_Lamp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke and Naruto were the best of friends all through out elementary and high school. When Sasuke suddenly goes missing, Naruto knows something is up. But being sixteen, he couldn't do much.</p><p>Seven years pass, he's now a decorated officer with a knack for catching killers. With a lead on the Orochimaru case, they find the entrance to Orochimaru's hideout. Inside there's his many victims. But only one matters to Naruto.</p><p>Sasuke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aurovae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurovae/gifts).



> Starting and posting another fic probably isn't the best idea with my increasing stress levels, but I need to get a mix of ships on this account. I hope Sometimes_Silver_Lining will like this fic? Cause I'm posting it with them in mind ❤

_"Come here, dobe. You can't even tie your tie correctly."_

_Naruto laughed as Sasuke yanked on the grey and black striped length of fabric around his neck._

_"What are you? My mom? Cool it, teme. It's only the first day."_

_Naruto replied with a carefree tone. He was too far relaxed to care about the simple things like his tie. He was itching for tryouts for the football team._

_Sasuke sighed, his nimble fingers quickly finished the tie. He pressed it down, glaring at his best friend with narrowed dark grey eyes._

_"Whatever, let's get to class. I don't want to miss the beginning of homeroom."_

_Naruto smiled as Sasuke pulled him along. They had been friend since they were little. Nothing could keep them apart. Not the tides, nor fate itself. They always managed to find each other._

-

Naruto opened his bright blue eyes, not even flinching at the bright white light above him.

"Naruto! Are you even listening to me? We have a lead on Orochimaru!"

Naruto quickly got to his feet, following his coworker into the briefing room.

"Now as you all know, the serial kidnapper Orochimaru had taken one of our own just last month. We got a tip from an anonymous person, Orochimaru's hiding spot is somewhere in the northern woods.

"We're sending a search party at noon. Uzumaki, you're on this case. Be ready to leave at any moment. Dismissed!"

Naruto nodded at his superior, Kakashi Hatake. The man was known is the unit for being one of the most laid back and lazy Captains. But it didn't disprove his nearly perfect record with a ninety percent success rate.

Kakashi returned the gesture before leaving for his office.

"Damn Naruto, what did ya do to deserve this case?"

Kiba's voice laughed from his right. Naruto turned to look at the brunet, an unimpressed look plastered over his handsome features.

"I don't think I'm unlucky. When I finally arrest the bastard, I'll be declared the unit's best detective while you'll remain on desk duty for the next three months."

Kiba paled.

"Oh yeah, I'm on desk duty."

He pouted, his canine companion, Akamaru, whined next to him.

"Aw buddy, I know it's only three months. But it's gonna feel like three years!"

Kiba spoke to the dog, the brilliantly white fur dog barking back replies.

"It's weird how you do that."

Ino mumbled pointing to Akamaru. A look of mute disgust on her face.

"It's not that bad. He's only bonding with the fur ball."

Naruto shrugged, scratching behind Akamaru's ear.

"See, Naruto understands."

Kiba held his dog to his chest, kissing his cheek and laughing as he did the same in return.

"I wouldn't say understands, but whatever. I'm heading out for some coffee, y'all want anything?"

Naruto asked throwing his leather jacket over his broad shoulders.

"Nah, I just got back from my lunch date. Kiba looks too interested in Akamaru for anything."

Ino replied with a disinterested shrug.

"Kay, see you guys in an hour."

Naruto jogged out of the station, breathing in the cold city air. He loved living in the city. It was always busy, always running.

It made a great distraction from his depression.

Naruto let out a deep breath as he entered the nearby coffee shop. He always had a problem with the over sweet or over bitter coffee the station had.

"Hey whiskers! Your usual?"

The barista, Suigetsu, called out as he entered. Naruto nodded to response, he queued near the register.

A few seconds later, Suigetsu placed the cup near Naruto's hand and an apple tart.

"You know the total."

Naruto grunted and pulled out a five dollar bill.

"Keep the change."

Naruto bit into the tart and hummed at the bitter flavor. He quickly finished it off and began drinking his coffee as he walked the streets of Konoha.

It was large city, a population of nearly ten million alone. The bright lights never seemed to turn off, the cars always honking at traffic jams, people yelling, and the occasional celebrity. Naruto loved it all.

He threw the empty cup away before taking a seat in a park. The cold bit and nipped at his nose and made the scars on his cheeks ache.

"Damn it."

He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, cursing the cold weather. He watched those around him. The jogging mothers with strollers, clothed in sports jackets and long athletic pants, street kids kicking a dirty soccer ball around, the nice kids from the upper blocks sitting around and talking, and of course the weird old man who stalked around, watching the kids.

It was all routine.

Naruto leaned back, resting his head on the backing of the bench.

'When did everything get so bland?'

Naruto pulled out a packet of cigarettes. The white package was crumpled slightly, but the cancer sticks inside were just fine. He pulled one out and placed it between his lips. With a black lighter on it's last leg, he lit the end and took a drag.

The nicotine cooled his nerves while the smoke burned his lungs.

Naruto used to hate smokers. Only seeing them as wastes of oxygen. But as his life dulled and he lost the ability to feel, he fell into them with no regret.

He sat back, smoking the cigarette as he gazed out at those still in the park.

His phone stole his attention from taking the last drag. Naruto pulled out the device and answered the incoming call from Shikamaru, one of the few informants the unit has.

"Get to the points I'm sending you. They found something you should see with them."

Shikamaru's voice was calm and clear, but Naruto could pick out the stress in it.

"Got it."

He hung up and put the coordinates in his phone, waiting for the map to show his path. He stomped out the butt of his cigarette and took off.

It was nearly half a mile away, not nearly enough to even wind Naruto.

-

Kakashi watched as the large police van backed up. The back doors opened to reveal a team of geared up police. His one visible eye analyzed them as they stepped out, readying their weapons and generally looking like douches.

"Where is Naruto?"

Kakashi mumbled. He would only admit it when drunk, but he thought of Naruto as a son. He was easily the best detective in the unit after himself. But Kakashi knew there was something holding him back, like he was constantly walking through water.

The silver haired Captain smiled as Naruto broke through the tree line.

"Hey Captain, where's my gear?"

The blonde questioned turning off his phone and putting it away.

"In the van."

Naruto nodded as he climbed in the back and grabbed his things. Naruto stepped out wearing the full gear.

The helmet visor was tinted, just a few shades lighter than the solid black helmet shell. The bulletproof vest had a thick stripe of bright reflector tape across the front and around the back. His hands were clothed in fingerless gloves, and his average handgun was replaced with a completely different gun.

"When are you opening the doors?"

Naruto questioned watching the team try and cut the thick chain lock.

"Soon as they can cut the chain...... I don't like this."

Kakashi confessed. The situation didn't sit right in his stomach.

"Same. It feels like it's too easy or nothing is going to behind those doors and we just missed him."

Naruto let a dry chuckle leave his lips at the last thought. It had happened before. They'd been just ten minutes too late to arrest Orochimaru, but not to save most of his victims.

"Don't jinx it kid."

The chain snapped. A loud ringing noise echoed through the clearing. Naruto and Kakashi watched the team peel open the doors.

The horrid screaming of the hinges pulled a shiver out of Naruto's spine.

"Alright, let's get moving!"

The second in command, or the leader of the geared team, called out. Naruto readied his weapons against his chest and got in formation with the others.

They turned on their flashlights and entered the dark hall, stumbling over the few steps there. Kakashi watched as his best detective sunk into the darkness, the uneasy feeling only growing in his stomach.

-

Naruto internally cursed as the lights seemed to dim as they went. It was like standing in empty space. The cold moist cold clung to his skin.

"Any signs of life?"

One of them asked nearing a textured tunnel.

"Negative."

Naruto hissed as he stepped on a rock.

"Uzumaki, you alright?"

"Yeah, just shitty rocks."

"Shh."

The leader, Neji Hygua, snapped. His arm raised to signal them to all keep their mouths shut.

The group paused, listening for anything. A faint groan of pain echoed from the end of the hall.

"Is there anyone in here?"

Neji called out, pointing the fixed light at different areas of the room. Another groan, more high pitched, sounded from the same area. They all snapped their lights over to it.

A woman with bright long red hair was pawing at the bars of her cell.

"P- please."

Her voice was the equivalent to the sound of sandpaper on glass.

"Survivor!"

Part of the team approached the female with equipment already out in their hands.

Naruto watched as they poured water in her mouth and began cutting the bars.

"Miss? Can you tell me your name?"

"K- Karin."

The bars were quick to fall, getting the woman out was easy, taking her back would prove more difficult.

"Are there anymore survivors?"

Naruto questioned the woman.

"Y- yes, d- down hall."

Neji nodded.

"The four of you, stay with her. The rest follow me."

Naruto followed Neji with barely two feet between them. They paused at the large iron door. The rusted metal was splattered with dark brown.

Naruto noted it was blood.

Neji pulled open the large door. The sounds of loud inhuman sounding screams immediately flooded their ears.

Naruto stepped back in shock. Neji stepped inside the room, listening as they screams changed tone. Sound more angry and furious than anything.

"What do we do Captain?"

Neji felt around for a light switch, his fingers felt a nub on the wall. He turned the nob and watched as the room was lit up by an increasingly brighter light.

The people below in the deep pit were revealed. Most were covered in their own feces, urine, and blood. Others were simply torn to pieces. Few seemed to be somewhat clean, but their faces were covered in blood and hands painted in it.

"Holy shit."

The team looked over the railing, watching as the hundreds of victims snarled at them.

"We're Konoha police, please place your hands on your head and lay on the ground. Failure to comply will result in force!"

Neji shouted out to them. The crowd seemed to only understand the words 'failure' and 'force'.

The team watched in horror as they viciously attacked each other. Those with blood painting their hands killed the most, the easiest.

Those covered in their own excrement fell like a card castle.

"Throw some tear gas."

Two members bit the pin and yanked. They threw the canisters down and watched as the smoky gas flooded the area. The sounds of gushing blood and pained screams faded to only crying.

Neji grabbed the radio on his shoulder.

"Come in Captain. We have a situation. It's best to bring in more medical staff and flood lights. Orochimaru is nowhere to be seen."

Kakashi's reply was short and simple.

"Got it."

"Hey Neji, look."

Naruto pointed to a small door to their far right.

"Come with me, Shino follow us."

Neji, Naruto, and Shino approached the door with their guns drawn.

Naruto turned the handle.

"Locked. I'm kicking."

Naruto kicked the door down in one swift movements. Neji sighed but quickly entered the room to clear it.

Only more moans and groans of pain could be heard.

He felt around for a light, finding the same light switch as before, the room lit with an increasing brightness.

Naruto took in the room. It was cut into a hall with several cells off to the sides and one at the far end.

"Scope out the cells, find any survivors."

Naruto stepped forward, Shino did the same as Neji filled Kakashi in over the radio.

Naruto found himself drawn to the darkest cell at the far back. The gate was unlocked but the dark human form inside made no move to get to it.

"You alive?"

Naruto wasn't the best with words.

The blonde slowly approached the still form with his flashlight in his hand.

Nothing came back, but the sound of a deep scarred breath. Naruto crouched low, trying to appear much smaller than they are..

He trailed his light up the survivors body. Dirty gauze wrapped around every square inch down to the finger tips. Their body was skeletal. The body shook ever so slightly.

Naruto rushed forward, holding the flashlight between his neck and shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

Naruto gently placed his hand on their shoulder. He aimed the light as best he could to light up their face.

Pale, nearly paper white, skin was framed by long ebony black hair. His eye lashes were long and thick, his eyes barely opened, and Naruto could already see the dark gray orbs.

"Sasuke?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of the previous chapter and the last few bits from Sasuke's point of view.

The next few hours went by like seconds. Naruto couldn't keep track of what happened, what was said, and what he was doing. The only thing he remember was keeping Sasuke close.

The raven never answered their questions, only shaking and whimpering as they moved him.

Currently, they were trying to take him out of the compound and up to the medical staff above ground. Sasuke didn't let anyone help him stand or touch him, smacking away their hands every time they tried to help or remove his bandages.

 

"What the fuck? Calm down!"

Naruto glared at the medic before stepping forward, resting his warm hands on Sasuke's cheeks. He slowly wrapped his arms around Sasuke's too-thin waist, pulling him close. He rested the raven's head on his shoulder, whispering soft words in his ear as he stood and walked out.

"Shh, just fall asleep. You need the rest."

Naruto's heart clenched, the pain hurting worse than being shot in his opinion. Sasuke was too light, too easy to carry.

For the past seven years, Sasuke was held by Orochimaru. Being tortured, starved, experimented on, and possibly raped by the monster. Naruto wanted to cry. From the joy of having Sasuke back, or his hatred for Orochimaru? He wasn't sure.

Sasuke relaxed in his arms, the dead weight barely weighing Naruto down as he walked over to the farthest ambulance.

Kakashi approached the blonde, taking note of the shaking hands.

"Hey Naruto, you okay?"

Naruto set Sasuke's limp body on the extended gurney, the staff rushing to stabilize his condition.

"Don't remove his bandages until you have him under anesthesia, he threw a fit earlier."

Naruto turned to Kakashi, tears forming on his water line as he looked away from his best friend. Kakashi rested his hand on his shoulder, gripping it to show reassurance.

"Who was that?"

"Sas... Sasuke Uchiha. An old friend of mine who went missing back in o'nine. I always thought he ran away."

Naruto dug his blunt nails into his palms, trying to hold back tears. Kakashi retracted his hand, he'd never seen Naruto express much emotion besides anger.

Seeing him break apart pained his heart.

"He'll be checked into the hospital, I'll get you a pass to see him even past visiting hours. Afterwards, I'll find his family for the rest of the investigation. He'll be okay."

"He doesn't have any family. After Sasuke disappeared, his brother, Itachi, went bat shit insane, killing all of his family. He was arrested a few days later. I watched the arrest."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. So the Uchiha family had a bad time coping with the loss of their youngest son.

"He'll stay with you then. A close friend, decorated officer, you'll be able to protect him. I'm sure the board will be fine with it. After we get everyone out of the hell below, you can go to the hospital to see Sasuke."

Naruto thanked him, wiping the tears away from his eyes. He place the helmet back on and walked down the brightly lit stairs.

' _I'll protect Sasuke this time around_.'

-

Sasuke shivered at the howling screeches. They plagued his thought and dreams. Never shutting up. His covered nails, dug through the gauze and into his upper arms.

' _Please, shut up. Just be quiet for once!_ '

Tears couldn't even form, he was so dehydrated. Normally Orochimaru had him well fed and hydrated, but he skipped town a few weeks ago. Leaving Sasuke with a water bottle and apple to tide him over till he returned.

He never did.

The bottle was discarded, the apple core was the last thing Sasuke could eat, the stem being the only piece not devoured.

He wrapped his arms around his concave stomach as tight as he could. The cold seeping into his bones and pulling shivers out.

Sasuke couldn't feel his fingers or his toes, the numb feeling of ice crawled up his legs and the sharp stabbing dry pain in his throat were the only things besides the throbbing sore feeling in the back of his throat.

He whimpered hearing new voices shout something he couldn't make out. The door was thrown open, or kicked. The lights turned on but the dim and near dead bulbs couldn't reach the back of his cell.

With his quickly draining strength, he pushed himself in the back, collapsing against the wet stone.

A tall male wearing black armor like gear stepped into his cell. Sasuke couldn't see through the dark visor till the man pushed it up to reveal bright wide blue eyes.

Sasuke's heart sunk.

' _Naruto?_ '

Naruto kneeled by his side and asked him a few questions. All made Sasuke want to laugh. Naruto barely changed, still bad with words with warm hands.

He tiled his head, Naruto's hands pressed against his lower cheek. Sasuke melted into the familiar but also distant touch.

His vision spotted, his head feeling heavy. Others rushed in, supplies Sasuke's never seen in their hands. Sasuke whined at the loss of Naruto's hands but quickly snapped to attention.

His limbs shot out, smacking a few medics in the faces. Panicked quick breaths left his lungs as he scrambled to get away from their cold hands.

Sasuke _hates_ the cold.

"What the fuck? Calm down!"

The order only made Sasuke want to thrash about more. He hated being the docile bitch Orochimaru trained him to be. He didn't want their freezing fingers peeling back the bandages to reveal the disgusting flesh beneath. He only wanted to stay with Naruto.

Said blonde shot forward, pushing a medic out of the way in the process. He held Sasuke's cheeks like he had before, whispering nothings to him.

The raven tried to fight the heavy wave of sleep wash over him, he really did, but Naruto's deep husky voice pulled him under. The bandages were flush against Naruto's warm uniform, the man's unnatural heat seeping through.

He's back together with Naruto, and he never wanted to leave him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll ( hopefully ) update this fic every Monday and Friday, but if I'm late then I give you permission to dance on my grave.
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading, kudoing??, and commenting ❤


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto managed to get home around two in the morning. Those inside the underground hell who hadn't died in transportation, or collection, were now settled in the nearest hospital. Sasuke being one of the first to arrive there.

The blonde stripped off his clothes in the bathroom. The sweat from constantly running about in the tunnels along with the stench of blood, piss, and shit, was nauseating. He not so carefully took out his contacts, his hands too cold and too shaky to even bother with comfort.

He started the shower and didn't bother adjusting the temperature. His leg bounced as he quickly washed his body.

' _Is Sasuke awake_?'

' _Is he scared_?'

' _What the hell happened to him_?'

' _Is he going to remember me_?'

"Fuck!"

Naruto growled, his fist plunged into the tiled wall. The cracked tiles cut his tanned skin. The blood ran down the wall, washing away and down the drain. Naruto's throat throbbed, his eyes burned.

It's been _years_ since he's felt this way.

Tears fell from his blue eyes. They ran down his cheeks, stinging the scared whiskers before joining the water in the bottom of the tub.

Naruto harshly scrubbed his hair. He needed to see Sasuke in the next ten minutes. He rinsed off his body and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist before walking to his closet.

He pulled out a pair of black fitted jeans, a long sleeved navy turtle neck and a pair of socks and underwear. He dried himself off and got dressed.

Naruto quickly gathered his things, his wallet, phone, glasses, shoes, badge, and a jacket, before sitting on the edge of his couch. He put on and tied his shoes, a pair of black boots, and put on his jacket, an old letterman from high school. He placed his black rimmed glasses on his nose and shoved his other possessions in his pockets.

Leaving his apartment, Naruto's mind went straight for the worst possibilities of what happened to Sasuke. The cold air surrounding him felt like knives digging into his skin.

' _How long was Sasuke in that cell_?'

' _How much did he suffer_?'

' _How cold was it_?'

' _Did Orochimaru do that to him_?'

Naruto wanted to throw up from his own thoughts. If Orochimaru did rape him, then the snake bastard has more than just a life sentence to worry about. Naruto would tear him _limb from fucking limb_.

Naruto hissed at the stinging pain on his cheeks. The damn scars are a pain in the ass to care for.

"Fucking snake bastard."

Naruto broke into a light run. Naruto never bothered buying a vehicle, all they did was suck up money and cause accidents. Plus, with the sickening amount of traffic in Konoha, Naruto wouldn't make it five blocks without stopping at least ten times.

The hospital was nearly a mile away. With Konoha being so densely created, getting places was easy. As Naruto rounded the final corner to the med center, the hospital finally came into full view.

The tall, nearly seventy story, building had mainly glass sides. Naruto darted through the stalled traffic, nearing the entrance with partially stoic expression.

If anyone bothered to look in his eyes, they'd see the overwhelming guilt and stress taking the form of bloodshot veins.

The doors automatically opened, the air conditioning being only a few degrees warmer than the outside. Naruto stepped inside, running his fingers through his hair worriedly.

He jogged over to the desk, waiting behind an older couple. His leg bounced unconsciously as he tapped his palm against his thigh. He was usually under control. Able to hide his emotions well. But with Sasuke being so close and the answers just a few questions away, his facade was crumbling.

"Sasuke please, don't you fucking be asleep when I get there. Or do, fuck, I don't know what would be best."

"Sir, I have more people to tend to. If you're going to stand there-"

"No, I'm here for Sasuke Uchiha. I'm officer Uzumaki. Captain Hatake should have gotten me a pass for the visiting hours?"

Naruto held out his badge, letting the woman look it over with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows.

"Yeah, he came by late last night. He's in room two hundred twenty-three, floor nine."

Naruto nodded at her response. He grabbed his badge, hanging it around his neck this time, and headed off for the stairs.

Despite the many steps, physical activity cleared Naruto's head like nothing else. If he were to standing in the elevator waiting for ten minutes, he would've gone insane.

It also gave him time to think.

If he were to be honest, Naruto was fucking terrified. He was terrified to see Sasuke, to learn what he had been through, to see Sasuke's reaction to him after all these years.

Would he think Naruto abandoned him?

Or would he just never say anything and continue like he had never went missing?

Both options scared the hell out of Naruto. The blonde didn't want Sasuke to be angry at him. But he also knew the dangers of never speaking about your problems. Especially if you went through something like being held captive for seven years.

The ninth floor came up sooner than Naruto wished. Taking a deep breath, he opened the doors to the floor. He expected some noise, maybe footsteps, the rolling of a cart, beeping, _anything_. But he was met with dead silence.

His stomach twisted, his throat clenching as he forced himself to start looking for room two twenty three.

The stench of 'hospital' burned his nose, his scars aching. Naruto had a bad feeling when in hospitals, even if he was questioning a witness, he never stuck around long. They reminded him of some bad memories.

The white floors, the white walls, the white ceiling, the white curtains, the _white everything_ only twisted Naruto's stomach further. He focused on not vomiting as much as he did finding the right room.

' _Two twenty three, two twenty three, two twenty three_.'

Naruto repeated it like a mantra. His blue eyes glancing over the room numbers hurriedly. His pace increased as did his heart rate.

Was he even on the right floor?

What if he was in the wrong hospital?

' _No, Kakashi was here earlier. This is the right hospital_.'

Naruto told himself, silencing the anxiety filled thoughts.

He eventually stalled in front of a white door, the chrome handle reflected the white surrounding it. The door had a small wire window. The thin lines inside and the angle of the door kept Naruto from seeing Sasuke.

' _Come on Naruto, you can fucking do this_.'

Naruto gnawed on his lip. The bruising flesh hurt under the weight of and tug of his teeth, but it didn't stop Naruto from sinking his canines in the lip.

He hesitantly stepped in, closing and averting his eyes for any reason he could. When the steady beeping of the heart monitor and the soft breathing of Sasuke settled in his mind, Naruto felt the nauseating anxiety melt away and a faint smile form.

He silently closed the door, his own breathing matched up with Sasuke's heart beat unconsciously. He turned to face his long lost friend. The soft smile fell, hitting the hard tiled floor and shattering along with Naruto's hope.

Sasuke was resting under several layers of thick covers, his body wrapped in new bandages, including some of his head, and his skin matching the white color of said bandages. Dark, almost matching his hair, circles ringed around his eyes. The thick lashes flush against his high cheek bones. His face was sunken in, the once slim and vibrant face now a cold and hollow husk of a person. His lips were a faint pink but with a thick layer of chap and dead skin on them.

Naruto's gaze drifted lower, stalling on his collar bones. They stood out far too much. The gauze followed every hill of bones and every sink of skin on Sasuke's body.

Naruto gently placed his hand just above Sasuke's forehead, resting on his hair. He brushed his thumb back and forth, lifting it when he went forward so he didn't pull Sasuke's hair. He let out a shaky breath.

He finally had Sasuke back, but he wasn't the same. He was a husk. Merely a broken image of the boy he once knew.

A broken image of a boy he still loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a few hours early, I upload these thing around five a.m usually, but it's only one thirty, so I'm happy! 
> 
> My tumblr is: http://anal-bead-lamp.tumblr.com/
> 
> If you have any fic ideas, want to talk to a loser like myself, or just want to ask questions message me there. (please I'm a lonely nerd who gets too much enjoyment from seeing the little (1) above my inbox)
> 
> Thank you for reading, kudoing, commenting, and any other 'ing' you can do on here ❤


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke finally wakes up

_"Dobe, you weren't really being serious!"_

_Sasuke whispered to his best friend. His gray eyes wide as Naruto scaled the side of his house to enter his bedroom window. Sasuke stumbled back, Naruto rolling onto the carpet with a light thump. He landed in a stereotypical superhero pose before letting the wide grin form on his face. He looked up at Sasuke and giggled._

_"Of course I was being serious. You need help in english and I need help in math. Just because I'm grounded doesn't mean I should be kept from my best pal."_

_Naruto nudged Sasuke's side with his elbow as he grabbed his bag and threw his body on the large bed. Sasuke sighed, rubbing his temples as Naruto toed off his shoes and got comfortable on his bed._

_The blonde teen was wearing dark fitted jean, a long sleeve black turtle neck, and a black and orange hoodie covered his torso. His feet were covered in tall black socks. If anyone were to see him, they would immediately call the police. He looked just like a robber._

_"Come on Sas. Are you embarrassed I saw your pink underwear?"_

_Naruto grinned as Sasuke's cheeks flushed with a bright red. The raven pulled his oversized hoodie further down to cover his thighs._

_"Shut up, dobe."_

_He pouted slightly as he made his way over to his bed. Naruto took the chance to take in Sasuke's appearance. No matter what he wore, he always looked perfect. Tonight, he wore a pair of bright pink and white stripped boxers and one of Naruto's old hoodies. One of the few completely grey, and not orange, things he'd ever owned. His pale skin stood out even further against the dark hoodie. It looked delicious in the moonlight._

_"What are you having trouble with?"_

_Sasuke pulled Naruto out of his thoughts with a question. Naruto quickly stuttered out an answer. Sasuke hummed, thumbing through his notes as Naruto cleared his thoughts._

_"Let's get started."_

_-_

_The pair woke up entangled in each other and surrounded in paper and pens. Sasuke brushed the soft black hair out of his eyes as he woke up. He carefully got out of bed, beginning his day. Naruto groaned from his bed. The blonde sat up, rubbing the sleep from his bright blue eyes._

_"Hey Sasuke."_

_"Shh, you have to get out of here before anyone sees or hears you."_

_"Sees or hears who?"_

_A deep voice asked with a amusement. Itachi entered the teen's room with two mugs of coffee and a smirk. His eyes shone with a teasing glare as he looked Sasuke in the eyes. The raven teen blushed and quickly went to shove his brother out of his room._

_"I brought coffee, and I won't tell mom or dad about your little boyfriend. Just make sure you both use protection."_

_Itachi spoke as he set down the mugs, his grin only growing with his little brother's embarrassment._

_"Shut up Itachi! You asshole!"_

_The twenty year old laughed as he was pushed out. Sasuke slammed his body against the door, hissing in pain as the handle dug into his lower back. Naruto giggled shamelessly from the bed. His hair messy and clothes wrinkled._

_"Tell your brother thanks for the coffee."_

_Naruto smiled as he stood up. He grabbed the white mug and downed the hot liquid without flinching._

_Ah, the life of a chronic procrastinator._

_Naruto could down coffee, Red Bull, and Monster at the same time without gagging. Sasuke called him disgusting, Naruto called it a gift._

_"I gotta get going, see you in two hours!"_

_Naruto gave Sasuke a two fingered salute before jumping out his window with his bag hung over his shoulder. Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto antics. A growing smile formed on his lips._

_'Damn you, Naruto.'_

_-_

_Two hours later Naruto and Sasuke were sitting in class together. Naruto looked the same as when he left Sasuke's house, while Sasuke looked same as he usually did after a late night of studying, barely awake with an over sized hoodie._

_"Damn, no wonder half the school thinks you two are banging."_

_Kiba laughed as he spun around to talk to Naruto. The raven flushed, Naruto squawked._

_"The hell? Since when did people start thinking that?"_

_"Oh come on, you two come to school at nearly the exact same time, looking disheveled, Sasuke limping-"_

_"I hit my back on the door handle."_

_"Against the door, huh?"_

_Kankuro wiggled his brows as he sat next to Kiba, the pair of brunets go on strangely well._

_"Oh my god, not you too."_

_Naruto groaned, his head falling and slamming against the desk with a loud thump. Homeroom had yet to completely start and Iruka was late by five or ten minutes usually so his loud groan didn't disrupt anything._

_"What are we talking about?"_

_Sakura's bright pink hair came into view as she sat in her seat. She twisted her torso so she could look at the group._

_"Sasuke and Naruto banging."_

_"Oh yeah, Naruto texted me last night about heading over to Sasuke-kun's place."_

_Sasuke glared at Naruto who nervously and apologetically scratched the back of his head._

_"Sorry? I had to have someone to back up a lie on. You know how quickly a lie can fall apart without a base."_

_Sasuke sighed, rubbing his temples as the group laughed._

_"Why am I even friends with you guys?"_

_"Because you love us."_

_"And you're banging the unofficial group leader."_

_"Kiba, I'm going to strangle you."_

_"Kinky~"_

_"You're not helping, Naruto!"_

-

Sasuke struggled to open his eyes. The heavy feeling of sleep still kept him under. The shuffling of fabric to his right sent a wave of fear right down his spine. His dark gray eyes shot open as he shuffled away from the noise.

He took in the sight of Naruto sleeping not so soundly on the edge of his bed.

' _What the hell?_ '

He looked around at his hospital room. The white walls, white floors, and white everything was a nice change from the dark black abyss he lived in. The heavy covers were thrown back, revealing his bandage covered limbs. A thankful sigh left his lips, hopefully Naruto didn't see the disgusting flesh underneath.

"Sasuke."

Naruto breathless voice caught his attention. Sasuke turned, his eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. The blonde slowly began to smile. Tears forming on the edge of his eyes.

The sparkling blue shone with joy and relief. A heavy sob escaping from his throat as he threw his arms around Sasuke's shoulders. The raven stiffened at the touch but melted into the warmth. He could feel Naruto's tears and saliva soak into his bandaged shoulder. The feeling with disgusting, but he couldn't quite bring himself to care. He hesitantly brought his own arms up, wrapping them loosely around Naruto's broad shoulders.

"I thought I lost you. I th- thought you were dead for seven years! Sasuke, oh my god, you're actually back!"

Naruto pulled back, grinning wider than he ever had. It was the first smile he's ever had in the seven years, actually. Sasuke seemed taken back by loud voice. Naruto quickly lowered his voice and rubbed gentle circles into Sasuke's thin arms.

Sasuke only stared at him with wide eyes. He knew it had been a while since he'd been kidnapped, but _seven years_. Sasuke's lung seemed to shrink, not taking in air. His mind raced with thoughts of what happened to his family, to his friends, to him.

He didn't realize he was shaking till Naruto pulled him close to his chest and began rocking him back and forth.

"It's okay Sasuke. It's okay. You're fine."

Sasuke felt too closed in. Too small. He pushed Naruto away, not caring to take in Naruto's expression. He wrapped his arms around his knees, holding them to his chest as he tried to take a deep breath.

The cold air strangled him. The missing warmth of Naruto pulled a whimper from him as he held his head tightly. The frigid temperature reminded Sasuke of too many nightmares.

Naruto spotted the bright red button just behind Sasuke's drip. The words, 'Call Button' printed just above it. He slammed his hand against it. He turned his attention back to Sasuke who seemed to be trying to scream. Nothing left his throat but coarse breaths.

"Sasuke? Can you tell me the year?"

The raven snapped his head up to look Naruto in the eye. He mouthed words but once again only flat breaths escaped. That's when it sunk in.

Sasuke can't speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's an awful human being and honestly needs to get their shit together? Me!
> 
> Seriously, I set up a reasonable schedule and I can't follow it. But actually seriously, the past few days my depression was acting up and my insomnia just was all over the board. I couldn't even really sit down to get my school work done much less write, so I'm sorry for the strange chapter. I wanted to build up more to this and make it seem dramatic and intense but instead I got a bland mess of words.
> 
> If you have any ideas you would wish to throw my way, don't hesitate cause I'm a mess and would really like it if you did.
> 
> Thanks for reading, commenting, bookmarking, kudoing?? It means a lot to me ❤


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little development with Kakashi's character and past, and Sasuke finally comes home with Naruto.

"What do you mean he's mute?"

Kakashi's monotone voice questioned the pacing detective. The blonde drug his hands down his face, a harsh swear leaving his lips as they touched the deep lines on his cheeks.

"I mean, he can't fucking talk. Doctor's said something about his vocal cords being cut. I don't know."

Naruto finally took a seat in one of the provided in Kakashi's office. His body slumping against the back as he drags his fingers through his hair. Kakashi sighed, leaning forward.

"He'll be fine. Deaf people live full and happy lives, same with mute. He just needs to figure out a way to converse with others. He might have to spend a few extra nights in the hospital, but he can still be released to you. The board gave me the okay earlier today."

Kakashi grabbed a sheet of paper from inside his desk and handed it to the young man. He pushed up his glasses and held the paper in front of himself. His eyes followed the text. The requirements, the check ups, the future plan for Sasuke. Naruto took it all in.

"How long am I going to have him for? How am I going to take care of him and still go into work?"

"Naruto, Jesus Christ kid, taking care of Sasuke will be your job for the next few weeks. From the past five years you have plenty of vacation days that you haven't used. Seriously, Naruto, you need a break. Maybe this is just what you need."

Naruto folded the paper, placing it in his jacket. A heavy sigh left his lips as he slumped forward, resting his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees.

"I just- I don't know? For the first time in years I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm going to lose it. One moment Sasuke is fine and hugging me back, then he's flinging himself across the room and having a panic attack. I can't predict anything with him. And, and I just don't know."

Naruto held back tears as his breaths stuttered. Kakashi watched with a concerned gaze. He reached out to give his subordinate a comforting gesture but Naruto stood up quickly. He buzzing phone in hand and eyes dry but clearly red.

"Sorry, Sasuke woke up again. I gotta head back. Don't stress yourself out."

With those words, Naruto was out before Kakashi could say anything. The grey haired man sighed, running his long fingers through his strange hair.

The stress of Orochimaru's case was getting the man. With the constant dead ends, failures, and sudden missing informants, it seemed the case was doomed to fail. Everyone in the unit had a vengeance against Orochimaru in some form.

Kakashi, the death of several close friends. Kiba, the death of his sister. Ino, the destruction of her family flower shop. Iruka, the kidnaping and ransom of his family. Lastly, Naruto with the helped murder of his family, the kidnaping and torture of Sasuke, and his own three months in hell.

Kakashi knew if Orochimaru was caught by Naruto, they might not have a killer to prosecute. Kakashi glanced at the bottom right hand drawer. He knew it was a cliche to keep his dirty secrets in the locked drawer, but cares. Once the door clicked, telling the silver haired man it is in fact closed, he leant down and pulled a key taped to the underside of the desk.

He inserted the small bronze key into the lock and twisted. The soft clunk of the lock turning gave way to the liquor bottle inside. With a heavy sigh he pulled the bottle from the felt inlay and placed it in front of him. He stared at the bottle with an increasing inner demon.

Kakashi remembered the past six months. The blood, sweat, and tears he went through to quit drinking seemed like a distant memory. But the hardship of almost losing his job to his drinking problem was a clear stain in his mind.

He remembered waking up in a cold sweat to Naruto shaking him awake in a dirty motel. How the blonde had found him, Naruto never told him. The pair never spoke about that night, but Naruto did get him into a recovery program. Kakashi opened the highest left hand drawer, pulling out his keys. His key ring held his car remote, his keys, and his various chips from group.

' _Congratulations on being thirty days sober!_ '

' _Three months sober, keep at it!_ '

' _Six months sober_.'

With a hissed curse, Kakashi shoved the bottle back in the drawer, locking it. He fiddled with the key, debating what to do. The man's grey gaze faulted to the partially opened window. The heavy rain created background noise and cooled the heated room. With silent footsteps he approached the opening. He shoved the warped wooden frame further up, the loud thunder and crackling lightening drowned out the busy station a few yards away.

Kakashi leaned against the window sil as he muled over his thoughts. The key fiddling between his fingers. A smirked grew on his hidden lips before he took a few steps back. He reared his arm back.

"I'm saying goodbye."

The key left his fingers and flew out the window before Kakashi could get the words out. But boy did they feel great. The key disappeared in the rain and in the city outside.

-

Sasuke laid on his side facing the door, watching the two stand outside his room talking. The nurse who had been bringing him food was talking to Naruto who seemed to trying to convince her about something. The blonde reached into his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, straining his ears to try and hear them but all he heard were muffled mumbles. The nurse seemed to finally agree to what Naruto was saying and let him in.

The blonde walked slowly, careful to not startle or wake the thought to be sleeping Sasuke. The tension in his shoulders melted away, but the strain in his throat only grew.

He slowly placed a hand on Sasuke's cheek. The cold flesh felt stiff. Sasuke felt tense, like a child who tried to fake being asleep when their parents came to check on them in the night. Naruto swallowed the anxiety.

"Sas? Sasuke, come on we're going home."

Sasuke 'woke up,' His eyes opened widely to show his dark grey orbs staring almost innocently up at Naruto. They shone with hope and distrust.

"It can be like old times. You can wear my hoodies and drink tea with me."

Naruto felt the annoyingly familiar burn behind his eyes. His throat swelled and he hoped Sasuke would get the message so he didn't have to speak again.

"Here's your wheelchair and a blanket. Mr. Uchiha needs to take these medications with meals everyday for the next few weeks. In thirty days, bring him back for a check up."

The nurse handed a white paper bag with different red labels and text to Naruto. The blonde only nodded.

"His stomach is fragile, so keep with basic food. Rice, bread, water, you get it. Keep his bandages dry. I recommend getting him a notepad so he can 'speak' with you, but it's up to you."

The nurse smiled, her brown eyes following Naruto's every move as he helped Sasuke into the chair. The raven seemed completely at ease while in the blonde's arm but put his guard back up the second he touch the wheelchair. She wondered about their relationship.

"Thank you, miss."

Naruto gave a nod and began to wheel Sasuke out of his room and down the hall. Once they stopped in the elevator, Naruto stepped in front of Sasuke.

"You want the blanket?"

' _Yes, dobe_.'

Sasuke meekly nodded. The blonde smiled at him. He unfolded the blanket and laid it over Sasuke's thin form. He tucked the edges in. Sasuke thought about his mother doing the same.

Sasuke wanted to ask Naruto about his family, but he has no way of communicating. The thick fleece blanket, the gentle movement from being wheeled around, and the simple fact he was with Naruto lulled him to sleep.

Naruto glanced down at the limp raven. A gentle smiled on his lips as he watched Sasuke sleep. The horrid possibilities of what went down in that disgusting cell not tainting his thoughts as he checked Sasuke out and wheeled him to the carpool.

The trip home was surprisingly easy. With Sasuke being so light in Naruto's arms, and the taxi driver being so considerate, Naruto managed to keep Sasuke dry and asleep despite getting soaked himself.

Naruto laid Sasuke in his guest bedroom while he went to take a shower and change. He leaned against the door frame into Sasuke's new room with a smile on his face and light feeling in his chest.

"Sweet dreams, Sasuke."

Naruto stepped into the room, kissing Sasuke's forehead before leaving.

' _Sweet dreams, Naruto_ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who found out they had an essay due tomorrow and didn't even know of it much less have it complete. 
> 
> This guy.
> 
> Thankfully I managed to bullshit together a paper and hopefully my grade won't drop further than it already has. Anyway, I legit cried watching Kakashi's past episodes while watching Naruto Shippuden and as much as I want my handsome babe to be happy, I just have to make him suffer.
> 
> Thanks for reading, commenting, bookmarking, and giving a kudo. They all fuel me to get chapters done in an orderly fashion ❤


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Naruto start their day and Sasuke learns some sad information

Sasuke woke up from a dreamless sleep. The heavy layers of bedding weighed him down, but he managed to sit up. His head spun and his mouth tasted disgusting. The sudden realization of his surroundings sent cold shivers of fear down his spine.

Though the covers were soft, Orochimaru had used this tactic before. The air seemed to drop in temperature. The cold damp cell haunted him as his lungs refused to work.

' _N- Naruto, help_!'

Sasuke wanted to scream, he desperately wanted to, but he could barely even think. He held his head in his hands tightly, trying to focus on his breathing. Trying to focus on anything other than the creeping hand of fear slowly climbing his back.

"Sasuke? I made omelettes."

Naruto's voice broke the static feeling within the room. He was wearing a pair of black sweat pants and a loose dark blue tank top. A pair of pure white bunny slippers stood out against his tanned skin and the dark floors.

' _Naruto_?'

Naruto quickly set the plate of rolled omelettes aside and rushed to Sasuke's side. He cradled Sasuke's cheek and rested his other hand on the bed. His bright blue eyes ran over Sasuke's shaking form, searching for any sign of injury.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything? It's okay to ask for anything."

Sasuke relished in the warmth of Naruto's form being so close. The question still hung in the air, and there was a few thing Sasuke needed. He gestured to his mouth and made a hugging action on himself, he hoped Naruto had out grown his stupidity.

"Food and a jacket?"

The raven nodded quickly. Naruto smiled faintly and helped the weaker man up. His arms slithered around him, supporting most of his weight.

"Let's get you settled in the living room, I'll bring you one of my jackets."

Sasuke numbly nodded along. Naruto slowly lower Sasuke onto his couch. The raven looked around curiously, his eyes wide and mouth pulled together in a pucker.

' _Fuck, he's really cute._ '

Naruto rushed away to grab the plate and one of his hoodies. Sasuke took the time to get comfortable on Naruto's sofa and take in the rest of his home.

From what he could see, the place was modern. Everything was monochrome with splashes of color here and there. It reminded Sasuke of his old room.

Naruto entered the room with a plate in one hand and sweater hung over his shoulder. He placed the warm food in front of Sasuke and handed the dark grey sweater to him. He gladly took it, slipping his arms through the sleeves, Sasuke finally noticed how big of a difference there was between them.

The sleeves could fit his legs and they extended long past his hands. It reached his lower mid thigh and hung off his shoulder. Sasuke waited for Naruto to leave the room before pressing his clothed hands to his face. He inhaled the calming scent of Naruto. Compared to the shit hole he lived in and the sterile scent of the hospital, Naruto smelled like all that was good in the world.

Naruto returned with two forks, his own plate, and two cups filled with juice. Sasuke watched with wide eyes as Naruto managed to not make of fool out of himself and set the things down.

They settled in, the silence weighing them down. Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, the raven was happily eating the food prepared for him. Like he'd hadn't had food in years.

' _Because he probably didn't._ '

Naruto stared down at his plate. For the past seven years, Sasuke's been struggling to survive. Naruto promised to spoil Sasuke. Treat him to the years they've lost.

_"Scott, come on. He's my dad, I can't lose both of my parents. Not both."_

Stiles' voice pulled Naruto out of his thoughts. Reminding him of the elephant in the room. The main reason Sasuke was even staying with him. Sasuke had already lost them both.

The blonde stole a glance at Sasuke, watching as he paid more attention to the rerun of Teen Wolf than he did to blinking. The raven looked completely fine, disregarding the sunken cheeks and shaky hands, the large sweater covered a lot. Naruto watched as Sasuke's eyes glazed over. A somber look taking place.

"Hey Sas, you need new clothes right? Let's go shopping."

Sasuke perked up at the sound of Naruto's voice, but visibly deflated at the prompt of going out. He rested his fork on the plate and placed it on the glass coffee table in front of him before sinking into the sea of pillows and blankets he surrounding himself in.

' _I don't want people seeing me, not like this_!'

"If you want, but you know we'll have to do it eventually. You need a toothbrush, socks, underwear, clothes that actually fit you."

Naruto faded off, watching the look of panic form in his eyes. Sasuke looked around, searching for something. The book of word puzzles on the coffee table with the pen laid on top would have to do. He quickly scribbled his thoughts, hoping Naruto could read it. His penmanship had gone down the gutter.

"I'm fine. I don't mind the large clothes. Just get Itachi to bring my things from my house..."

Naruto sucked on his front teeth. Debating on what to say. Sasuke had obviously noticed his change in body language. The blonde picked at his nails, feeling Sasuke's increasing anxiety.

"Sasuke, you're staying with me for a reason."

Naruto spoke slowly, waiting for Sasuke's reaction. The raven stared at him, frozen. His wide grey eyes glazed over and tears quickly formed on the water line. They fell down his pale cheeks, his hands flying up to cover his face. Naruto tossed his empty plate onto the coffee table and wrapped his arms around Sasuke.

Harsh sobs of Sasuke failing to take in air drowned out the sound of the rain and the television. Naruto pulled Sasuke from his nest of blankets and onto his lap. The raven curled against him. His tears and saliva soaking Naruto's shirt.

"It's going to be okay. You still have me. I'll never let you go."

Naruto whispered, his hands rubbing hopefully calming circles on his back. Sasuke shook as his mind raced.

'How did they die?'

'Did he hurt them?'

'Why did they have to die?'

Naruto calmly rocked side to side, his whispers of promises to always be there never stopping. Sasuke eventually stopped sobbing, only softly crying. Tears fell one at a time instead of flooding his face, and he managed to not drool all over himself. Although he still struggled to breathe, Sasuke managed to relax in Naruto's arms.

"I'm sorry."

' _Me too_.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I covered my face in minion tattoos and I have testing tomorrow. I've never felt this perfect in my life.
> 
> I wish you all a good day, don't cover your face and eye lids in minions ❤


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some fluff and a bit of information.

Naruto sat on the sofa with Sasuke sleeping soundly in his arms. The raven's hot breath fanned over his neck, soft whimpers leaving his lips every few minutes. Naruto bit into his lip, keeping himself from doing anything other than just resting his arms around Sasuke.

His eyes were glued to the television in front of him. Keeping his mind occupied.

A hoarse choke of words left Sasuke's mouth. It caught Naruto's attention, reminding him of Sasuke's seven years in hell. The blue eyed man glanced down at the male, his gaze locking on his exposed bandaged shoulder.

Neither the hospital nor the department had sent him Sasuke's medical files yet, and he was twitching with curiosity about what was under those bandages. Sasuke moved around for a few moments, the large sweater dipped further down his arm. Showing the thin fragile arms. His gaze followed to the small hands gripping his own shirt. Sasuke felt so light in his arms. So fragile and easy to break.

' _You can't break what's already broken._ '

Naruto slowly laid on his side, letting Sasuke curl into him by himself. Naruto reached for the remote near his head, turning the television off once he had it. With the white noise of the show gone, Naruto could hear Sasuke's breathing and the heavy rain outside.

Naruto pulled the blank thrown over the back of the couch and managed to cover himself and Sasuke. He checked every few seconds to make sure he hadn't jostled Sasuke too much as he did so. With the cold air of the flat blocked out by the thick blanket, Naruto wrapped his arms around the cold body in his arms. The raven let out a sigh as he pressed his body against the heated form under the name of Naruto.

"You know the day you went missing, I was going to confess. I know it's cliche, but I really was. I had the day planned and everything. I still want to."

Naruto whispered against Sasuke's nape. The raven tensed at the words or Naruto's breath, the blonde wasn't sure. But he hoped Sasuke was still asleep. For both of their comforts.

' _I was going to confess the day after, dobe. But- don't._ '

Sasuke forced himself to relax, making sure his form was limp against Naruto as the blonde eventually drifted to sleep. Sasuke ignored the painful throbbing in his chest. Instead, he entangled his legs with Naruto's, pulled the blanket tighter around himself, and let the heavy rain outside wash away his thoughts. He welcomed sleep as his eye lids drooped.

' _You won't want me after you find out_.'

-

"Kakashi."

The silver haired man looked up from his computer screen. The half finished report taunting him with the blinking line. He took in the man standing in his office door.

Might Guy, one of the forces most legendary officers. From the various odd speeches he gave at meetings, to the amount of criminals he put away, his name was known far and wide within the force.

Though his personality was passionate and loud, he stood leaning against the door frame with a stern expression. His comically thick brows pulled together, showing his serious and most likely bad news.

"Yes?"

Guy stepped in, tossing the folder onto Kakashi's desk. The cobalt eyed man grabbed and opened the file, his eyebrows furrowing as he read through the slew of text and shitty medical words Kakashi only partially understood.

"Is this?"

The words died on his tongue.

"Yeah, Sasuke Uchiha's medical file. Every single physical thing Orochimaru did to him, is in that file."

"Does Naruto have a copy?"

Kakashi looked up at Guy, not sure which option would be best. If he didn't, he could take the time off with Sasuke and relax, but he would also be out of the loop and come back possibly angry. But if he did, then Naruto wouldn't focus on taking care of Sasuke now, Orochimaru would take first place on his list of priorities.

"Not currently, but we'll be sending one his way later this evening."

Kakashi numbly nodded. The file rested in his hand, the small test listing out the horrors Sasuke endured. His eyes drifting further down the page till he reached the bottom.

"Rape kit- positive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm a day late, but at least it's better than making you all wait for another two days. I thought I still had a few chapters written that I could just release as time went and not have to scramble words together just before the deadline. But it turns out I just hadn't marked that I posted chapter 6 and the chapter 7 I had planned at the time was so far from being done, so I switched that one from 7 to 8 and scrambled this chapter 7 together within the day but I got distracted, like seriously distracted, so that's why it's so late and I'm sorry, please take my first born child as payment.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orochimaru and Kabuto centered chapter, *warning* rape reference at the end

"Lord Orochimaru, calm down!"

"Kabuto! Don't you remember what we did to his skin! What we put there! If the police figure it out, then we're done!"

Orochimaru swept his arm along his desk. The various stacks of paper and containers of questionable things hit the floor with a resonating crash. The shatter at glass and and wet noise of the organs being crushed pulled a shiver of disgust from Kabuto.

The silver haired man straightened his form, staring forward as he tried to think of his next words. Orochimaru stood hunch over his fallen work, his breathing heavy and labored. He stood there for a few moments before kneeling next to the pile.

His pale hands dug through the wet mess before a grin broke out on his face. His hands shook as he grasped the still intact case. The cylinder of thick glass and even thicker steel rested in his hands. The thick liquid sloshed around inside, a pair of dark grey eyes stared up at Orochimaru. The light caught them just right, letting the flecks of black and red shine through.

"Shame we couldn't get the other pair too."

Kabuto shivered at Orochimaru's tone of voice.

"We could've had them, if you had quit stalling to play with him."

Kabuto glared at Orochimaru who leaned back, his sinister grin only growing.

"But his flesh was so sweet."

Kabuto rolled his eyes. The years of hearing Sasuke's screams as he pleaded for his release coming back to him. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his glare dropping as he looked back at Orochimaru.

"Yes, you've told me plenty of times. But you need to get this mess you've created under control. I can send another team to try and retrieve Sasuke for disposal."

"No, I don't think they'll find anything on him so we can wait a little longer. I still have a few other experiments to complete before I can reclaim my precious Uchiha."

"Okay Lord Orochimaru. I'm retiring for the night, please get enough rest. We have a long journey back."

"Yes, yes. I know."

Orochimaru brushed Kabuto off. The silver haired man nodded, watching for a few seconds as Orochimaru picked up his fallen belongings, before leaving.

He walked down the stone halls. His lone footsteps echoing down the long dimly lit paths. When he reached the end, he took a right and continued till he took a left. From there he entered a small bedroom just beside a large lab. As he stripped of his clothes, he listened to the rhythmic pumping of the machines in the other room, paired with the struggling screams and pleas of new captives. Those who lived past the first two months learned to keep their mouths shut.

He entered his bathroom and stared at his naked form in the mirror. Due to the years underground, his skin was abnormally pale. His once smooth flesh held crescents in a consistent pattern, like snake skin. He ran the pads of his fingers along his collar bones, the dry skin flaking under them. He cringed at the sound of the skin flakes cracking and falling to the ground below him. Some areas held a greenish tinge to them, mainly his forearms and sides. He roughly took off his glasses, his ears throbbing with the pain of the action, and tossed them onto the counter.

He started the shower, not bothering to warm it at all when he stepped in. He poured a generous amount of exfoliating body wash into his palm. Kabuto lathered it between his palms before going to town on his body, scrubbing the dead snake like skin.

He watched as the coarse skin fell down the drain. Revealing the human skin underneath. Kabuto washed the rest of his body and hair before getting out. He stared at the mirror, his reflecting staring back.

His eyes drifted down his smooth chest, watching the pale green shimmer from the lights above the mirror. He turned to his right, the thick skin flaking where his skin pulled.

The painful sting left behind released a hiss from him. Kabuto quickly found a round of bandages and began to wrap his torso.

' _Orochimaru needs to get his head out of Sasuke's ass and remember the fucking deal_.'

He smoothed the gauze and grabbed some clothes. As he got dressed, the pull on his skin sent waves of pain through him. Reminding him of his mistakes.

-

Orochimaru sat in his office. Thinking about his favorite experiment. Sasuke's voice as he screamed for help and out of pain was delicious. Orochimaru licked his lips, remembering the feeling of Sasuke's skin under his hands.

The soft flesh was so easy to mark. Bite marks stayed for weeks, bruises stained, and the lack of sun made it so pale. It sparkled in Orochimaru's eyes. The gold eyed male grinned in the darkness of his office, his cock hard and straining against his pants as he remembered the first time with the boy. How he screamed out the name, "Naruto."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yooo, do you ever just read what you wrote and question what the hell is wrong with you? Cause I do this regularly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some shopping fluff

"Sasuke, we need to go shopping."

' _No_.'

Sasuke buried himself further into the blankets, curled into the fetal position on the sofa. Naruto sighed, watching Sasuke's ass as the sweater rode up.

"Sas, you haven't left this apartment in two days. We need to go grocery shopping."

Sasuke stood his ground. He didn't want to leave. But Naruto wouldn't leave without him. Naruto sighed, turning into his room and began to get dressed and get ready to leave. Sasuke glanced back, questioning the sudden stop in pestering.

His brows furrowed noticing Naruto wasn't there. Naruto stepped out of his bedroom, dressed ready to tackle the cold rainy day. Sasuke narrowed his eyes watching as Naruto gathered his things, phone, keys, etc, and looked back at him.

"If you don't get ready now, I'll leave you."

Sasuke crossed his arms around turned his nose up. Naruto sucked his teeth and approached the raven. He easily plucked the male from his nest on the couch and walked into the bedroom, ignoring the 'punches' on his back from Sasuke.

' _Naruto! Put me down! You bastard!_ '

"I'm sorry Sasuke, but I can't leave you alone, and we're really low on chicken stock which I need for soup and ramen. So you get no choice."

Naruto carefully set Sasuke on the bed and began grabbing clothes.

' _I hate you_.'

"Stop with the face. I'll push you in the cart if you want, like old times."

Naruto offered a soft smile as he laid out several layers. Sasuke pouted, but couldn't help bet remember the fun times of them pushing each other in shopping carts.

"Do you need help getting dressed?"

Sasuke shook his head, grabbing the first layer of pants himself. Naruto grinned, stepping out of the room so Sasuke could do it on his own.

"I'll be back in a few."

Sasuke nodded, pulling the pants up to his thin waist before grabbing the next layer, a pair of old jeans. They were much too small on Naruto but still too big on Sasuke. He quickly dressed himself with the rest of the clothes and exited the room, his forms heavy with extra clothes.

"There you go, I did get a pair of shoes in your size from the hospital so you don't have to bare with such large shoes from me."

Naruto helped Sasuke into them. A gentle smile remained on Naruto's lips as the pair took slow and small steps out of the apartment and towards the shops.

"Are you okay?"

Naruto whispered, Sasuke hesitated with a small nod. His hands were in a vice grip on Naruto's sleeve. The memory of being kidnapped hazy but still terrifying. Naruto carefully pulled Sasuke's left hand away from his jacket, instead intertwining their fingers. Sasuke glanced down at the pair of hands, staring at the difference in color. Naruto's skin was tanned as always, the gauze wrapping around his individual fingers white as snow, like his own skin but less disgusting.

"Here we are."

Naruto led Sasuke into the store, his hands squeezing Sasuke's for reassurance. Sasuke coward from the gazes of others as Naruto led him around the store, asking him questions for what he wanting.

"Okay, so toothbrush, underwear, socks, pajamas, and some day clothes are crossed off the list. What next? Oh yeah, groceries."

Naruto set the hand basket loaded with items onto the counter for the cashier to check them out.

"Hey Detective, any luck with snake guy?"

"Hey, not really. He raided one of his places a while ago. But the bastard slipped out before we could get him. Card."

Naruto handed over his card, tapping in his pin with his free hand. Tenten smiled at Sasuke, grabbing a displayed chocolate bar.

"Nice to see you again Sasuke."

She slid the bar towards him, the raven stared wide eyed at her. He smiled faintly before glancing up at Naruto. The blonde smiled back, squeezing his hand out of habit.

"Don't worry about the cost, the manager ordered too many. Your total is forty seven, thirty three."

"That's good, I guess."

Tenten placed the various things into a large plastic bag before handing it over to Naruto. He thanked her before leaving. She watched them leave, walking into the drizzling outdoors.

' _That's the first time I've seen him smile in a while_.'

-

Sasuke pointed at the bag, trying to convey his message through gestures. Naruto held up the bag, questioning what Sasuke wanted to do with it.

"You want to hold it?"

' _Yes, I don't want you tiring yourself out_.'

Sasuke nodded, grabbing at the bag. He figured since Naruto could hold and lift it so easily, it couldn't be that heavy. Also, they still had groceries to bring home.

"Alright."

Sasuke wrapped his hands around the handle, his arms immediately giving out from the weight. Naruto burst into laughter. A wide smile forming on his lips as Sasuke struggled to hold the bag up for a few seconds at a time.

' _Shut up, dobe. It's not my fault this thing weighs so much_.'

"Come on, I can carry it."

Naruto reached for the bag and Sasuke's hand, the smile dropping to a small but sincere and calm one. Sasuke pouted, but continued walking to the small grocery store with Naruto leading the way.

-

"Sasuke, we can't just buy tomatoes and sweets. You need protein and vegetables."

' _No_.'

Sasuke cringed, turning away from the blonde as he reached for the leeks. Those around them watched with curious looks as Naruto, a well known face around there, struggled to convince a silent man to eat vegetables.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you will eat your fucking vegetables."

The name rang through out the quiet store. The big case of the missing second son of the Uchiha family coming to mind for the customers. The blonde let out a loud sigh.

"Fine, but we're getting cucumbers."

The pair acted like a couple, bickering with no real malice as they made their way through the store. Well, Naruto bickering with Sasuke as the raven just made faces and tried to pull the other away from thing he didn't like.

"Teme, we only need so many tomatoes. We don't want to buy all this stores tomatoes. You can't even eat that many!"

Naruto stood a few feet away from the raven a who pointed to the plethora of tomatoes next to him.

"I hate you, I hope you know how much I hate you right now."

Naruto grabbed a vine or two, three actually since Sasuke snuck another one in, and carried on. The pair walked slowly through out the store, grabbing what they needed, or in Sasuke's case, grabbing what he wanted, before approaching the check out.

"Your total is sixty seven, twenty eight. Cash or card?"

"Card, credit."

He handed over his card, adjusting his hold on the plastic bag in his right hand. Sasuke held his left, both of them stared at the large growing pile of smaller plastic bags of food.

"Grab what you can hold and I'll carry the rest."

They nodded to each other. Sasuke held two bag, one with the bread and the other full of packaged strawberries.

Naruto on the other hand held the other eight. All of them loaded with the other food items. He grunted at every other step.

"I curse the day I forgot to buy a car."

Sasuke smiled softly as he glanced over to the stalled traffic to their right.

' _Yeah, like a car would get us home quicker_.'

The raven glanced up at the clouds, the soft rain before was getting heavier, soaking through a few of the layers he has on. Naruto made another noise of annoyance before letting out a thankful groan.

"Come on Sasu-chan, you gotta try my hot chocolate. It's the best."

Naruto smiled at the raven, they both thought back to the time where Sasuke would stay over at Naruto's after his parents argued. Naruto would make hot chocolate, prepare snacks, and they would just enjoy being best friends. It felt like centuries had passed since their last 'bro day' as Naruto had dubbed them, then they both remembered. It almost had.

' _Seven years_.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ate a nature's valley bar in my bed and now there's crumbs everywhere and why did I do this to myself???


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> heckle if I know?

"Sas, wanna watch a movie?"

Naruto asked as he held up the old dvd case, Mulan. Sasuke glanced up from his soup, his eyes reading the case. He dropped the soup and nodded with a smile. It had been years since he had even touched a device. Much less watched a decent movie.

"I know you're a disney kind of guy, so I kept all of my past disney movies. In case you ever came back."

Naruto's smile faulted with the last sentence but he easily picked it back up. Sasuke glanced at the floor boards. He didn't even think about the emotional toll his disappearance took of those close to him. Not wanting to upset Naruto, he quickly found his spot on the sofa and waited for Naruto to join him.

Naruto put the disc in and left the room, entering a room where Sasuke had yet to go. He reentered with his laptop and a pair of glasses perched on his nose.

"Sorry, I have some reports to write up. Hope you don't mind."

Sasuke shook his head but knew with Naruto being occupyed with his work, they wouldn't get to cuddle. He forced his attention back on the television, letting Naruto find his spot on the opposite side of the couch with his laptop resting on the arm.

Though Sasuke's growing anxiety ate away at his stomach, he managed to stealthily lay his head on Naruto's thigh. The toned muscle was warm and a decent pillow. The blonde glanced down at the male for a split second, smiling as he watched Sasuke drift to sleep within the first half hour of the movie.

As the sunlight faded, so did Naruto's energy. His reports filled themselves out easily enough, but the sheer amount of them was the pain. Naruto let out a thankful sigh as the last report was finished and e-mailed to Kakashi. He was sure the man would call him an idiot for working during his time off, but Naruto couldn't help the joy he got from doing it.

' _I'll just check some things before getting off._ '

He checked his bank account, making sure he had enough to take care of Sasuke, his twitter, nothing much there, and a few other sites before checking his e-mail.

He scrolled through his inbox with slight annoyance. Most of it was spam. He began blocking addresses when he caught the subject "Uchiha Medical Files." He opened it, the sender was obviously the hospital, and the opening paragraph was instructions on how to open and keep the information secret. Naruto didn't bother to read them, he already knew what it said from the previous thousand cases he's done.

He saved and opened the files, the pages of information were saved to the encrypted folder dedicated to ongoing cases. His blue eyes read the information with growing worry settling in his stomach.

' _Hundreds of bone fractures._ '

' _Right kidney is missing._ '

' _Severally dehydrated._ '

' _Severally malnourished._ '

' _Bruising covering near 40% of the body, past bruising near 90%_ '

' _Cigarette burns on the ankles and bottoms of feet._ '

Naruto felt his stomach tight with every new line of information.

' _Quarter of left lung missing._ '

' _Mild ear infection._ '

' _Urinary infection._ '

' _Vocal chords removed entirely_.'

' _Bottom ribs missing_.'

Naruto glanced down at Sasuke. His hair framing his pale face perfectly and completely at peace. Like these weren't his medical files. Naruto forced himself to read the last few lines. His stomach twisting in ways he never thought possible. Rage burned in his veins. His fists clenching and teeth piercing his lip.

"Oh hell no."

He growled. Naruto popped his knuckles, trying to calm the typhoon of fury rolling through him. The soft sniffle sounded like a gun shot in the silent apartment. Naruto snapped his attention to Sasuke. The raven's expression twitched, silent whimpers leaving his lips as he curled in on himself. Naruto felt the rage drain, but his determination to ring Orochimaru's neck only grew. He carefully ran his fingers through Sasuke's hair. The soft locks felt like clouds between his fingers.

With his free hand he shut the laptop, leaving it to turn itself off, and placed it on the coffee table. Naruto gently held Sasuke to his chest as he stood up. Sasuke held onto his shirt, his face nuzzling his shoulder as he walked into Sasuke's bedroom.

He nudged the door opened with his foot and slowly walked through the pitch black room. Sasuke was light in his arms as he pulled the covers back. He placed Sasuke's limp body in the sheets, pulling them up to Sasuke's chin.

"Sweet dreams."

Naruto whispered before leaving the room. His fists unconsciously clenched and unclenched, his anger still there but just a heated buzz under his skin. He entered the bathroom, stripping off his clothes as he tried to slow his breathing and heart beat.

"Fuck....."

Naruto turned the shower on hot. Steam quickly filled the room as Naruto stood under the burning water. It pelted his skin, tiny bullets of heat hitting him over and over. The heat didn't faze Naruto as he harshly scrubbed at his skin and hair. He wanted this day to be over. He want to lay in bed and completely forget about the whole situation. Go back to before when Sasuke's main fear was not being accepted to his choice 'A' college. Not Orochimaru.

Naruto placed his palms flat against the wall as the water rained down. His right hand clenched to a tight fist. Unconsciously, he reared his hand back and struck at the tile. The white tile shattered. Naruto stared at his sliced flesh. His eyes drifting to his other hand, the scars from the last punch to shower wall still there. Still white lines on his sun kissed skin.

"Damn it."

-

Sasuke curled further into himself, the hard thud in the room next to his sent reminding waves of fear through him.

' _Naruto probably just tripped and something fell._ '

' _It's not **Him**._ '

' _It's not **Him**._ '

' _But he could be here._ '

' _Waiting._ '

Sasuke gripped his head, hoping the pressure would expel the nightmarish thoughts.

' _No!_ '

' _Oh but yes, he could be standing in the shadows. Waiting for you to drop your guard to strike!_ '

Sasuke scrambled to a sitting position. His arms flying out for the lamp. The light engulfed the room, uncovering ever shadow and hidden darkness in the room.

A shaky sigh left Sasuke's dry lips. Though the thoughts were gone, and the voices silenced, the memories and fear were as fresh as the rain outside.

' _Come on Sasuke, turn the light back off and fall asleep. You're not a coward. You're strong._ '

The raven nibbled on his lip. The dead skin coming up with little to no mental energy. His hands found the soft sheets, gripping at the fabric instead of his face.

Sasuke sat there in the light for a few minutes. Sorting through his thoughts and trying to muster of the confidence to turn off the lights and go back to sleep. He was brought back by the familiar coper taste. He hesitantly brought his fingers up to his lips. Carefully dabbing at the raw flesh. The warmth and damp feeling soaked through the gauze.

Sasuke pulled his hand back, staring wide eyed at the clean white bandages. A smear of dark red on his finger tips. Sasuke felt his lungs suddenly stop functioning. He couldn't breathe as he stared wide eyed at the stained bandage.

' _N- no._ '

Sasuke shakily rose to his feet. His eyes never leaving his finger tips. His footsteps were clumsy, loud, and uneven. He slipped into the bathroom, not noticing the humid hot air as he hurriedly unwrapped the gauze from his arm. The pale flesh underneath was perfect, not marks, not scars, not even a freckle nor mole. But Sasuke despised it. He wanted to scratch as every square inch of it. He dug through the cabinets, pulling out everything in search for the roll of bandage.

Naruto jogged back into the bathroom, hearing the quick shallow breathing of Sasuke and loud tossing of items.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto spotted his arm first. The skin was pale as the white tile on the walls. Nothing there but skin and bone.

"Sasuke? Sasuke, what's wrong?"

Naruto kneeled next to him, his large hands settling on his shoulders.

"Sasuke talk to me! Fuck, I didn't mean that."

Sasuke couldn't hear Naruto as he snatched the roll of gauze from the ground. His hands moved at a blurring pace as he rewrapped his fingers, wrist, and arm. Naruto watched as the raven ran his newly bandages fingers through his hair and over his face, calming himself.

"Sasuke?"

The man robotically turned to Naruto, his eyes wide and teary. His hands shakily grabbed hold of Naruto's sweater, pulling himself closer to Naruto. The blonde encircled his arms around Sasuke, waiting till both of their shaking stopped.

"Come on."

Naruto shifted his arm under Sasuke's thighs, his other hand supporting his head as he lifted the raven male. He held the male against his chest as he exited the bathroom, whispering calming words to him as they passed through the living room and stepped into the kitchen.

"Here you go, just like that."

Naruto gently sat Sasuke on the counter, resting his head against the cabinets above him. He made sure Sasuke wouldn't fall over, careful to look at him every few seconds to make sure.

"I'll make you some hot chocolate, then we can head back to bed. Does that sound good?"

Naruto looked back at Sasuke as he grabbed the cocoa powder from the top of the fridge. The raven numbly nodded, his eyes glazed over as he watched Naruto make two mugs of hot chocolate.

"Here, I'm sure it's cool enough for you to drink it."

Naruto held the dark blue mug out to Sasuke. He reached out for the warm drink and held it close to his chest as he prepared to take a sip. The heat from the drink seeped into his palms and chest. He took a careful sip, the sweet flavor of chocolate and vanilla dancing on his tongue.

Sasuke watched with hidden curiosity as Naruto stared at him. His once large warm blue eyes were cold and held years of experience. Sasuke felt guilty for causing him so much pain.

Sasuke stared at the bottom of his mug, the remaining liquid settling around the edge. His heart hung heavy in his chest as he watched Naruto finish off his drink and rinsed both mugs out.

"It's late, let's get to bed."

Naruto helped Sasuke off the counter, holding him in his arms as he found his way back to his bedroom. Sasuke was grateful Naruto didn't put him back in his room. Instead, they both were in Naruto's. The raven easily snuggled under the covers, sleep coming quickly as he relaxed in the presence of Naruto. The blonde on the other hand, couldn't sleep. The words at the bottom of the page appeared every time he tried. Even when Sasuke cuddled close to him, face serene and breathing even, Naruto felt on edge. Giving up on sleep, Naruto took the chance to study Sasuke' face. The streetlight pouring in from the window shined brightly on Sasuke's head and neck. The dark shadows accentuating his features. Naruto sighed as the tense feeling drained away as the sound of rain and faint distant thunder filled the deafening silence. He pulled Sasuke closer to his chest and let the past few days of stress melt away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably rewrote this chapter seven different times and this was my favorite version of it so yeah


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke's physical health is in the drain while Naruto's mental health and stability is shaky.

Naruto gently shook Sasuke awake. The soft sunlight filtered through the clouds, enveloping their room in a warm orange glow.

"You gotta get up, we need to pick up some of your meds. We also have to sign you up with some therapists and such. Maybe you can start an ASL class? We can't get anything done with you being dead to the world."

Naruto mumbled, trying to pull his arm out from Sasuke's arm. For being so slim, he sure had power. A low groan left Sasuke's lips, the stench of morning breath encasing Naruto's head.

"Oh my god, get your boney ass up and brush your teeth. I'm dying."

Naruto let out a pained wheezing sound as he tried to escape to fresher air. Sasuke whimpered and rolled on his side. Though for the past few days his body had ached, not surprising since it'd been a while since he had even moved, but today it seemed like his body was weighed down by an ocean.

Naruto gladly took this opportunity to get up. The blonde turned to face his friend. The raven shivered at the loss of heat but something else was off.

"I'm going to take a shower, when I return you can take one yourself. I'll help you if you need."

Naruto watched for any physically reply Sasuke could give. All he got in return was a simple thumbs up. He nodded and exited the bedroom. He entered the bathroom and pulled back the shower curtain. His eyes immediately found the multiple broken tiles from his anger spouts. An embarrassed sigh left his mouth as the stupidity of his actions came at him.

"Stupid, now you'll have to fix the shower _again_. Stupid moron."

Naruto scolded himself as he started the shower, letting the heat to the perfect temperature. He closed his eyes left the water wash away the growing anxiety of today.

How much would Sasuke's medications cost?

How will Sasuke react to the doctor?

Does he still have a fear of needles?

Naruto wanted to punch something, preferably not his bathroom wall. It had been too long since he'd been to the gym. As he rinsed the suds from his hair, Naruto decided to take Sasuke to the gym to help with muscle growth when he could. He gave himself a final rinse before stepping out. He rinsed the tub, encase Sasuke wanted to use it, then shut off the water. He dried his hair the best he could then wrapped a towel around his waist. As he whistled a soft tune, he returned to his bedroom to find Sasuke hunched over gripping his stomach.

"Sasuke?"

Naruto darted to his side, his eyes wide as he frantically tried to get an answer out of the wheezing Sasuke. With a sudden idea, Naruto rushed out of the room. He grabbed a spar note pad and a pen from his home office and ran back to Sasuke. The raven laid in the fetal position on the floor, coughing and struggling for breath.

"Oh shit, oh my fuck. Sasuke write what's wrong!"

Naruto practically threw the items on the floor, Sasuke shakily grabbed the pen, clicking the end with frustration. He wrote with scribbled letters, words teetering off as he hurried to get the next one started.

"Tummy hurts, coughing up blood, dizzy, please help."

Naruto read off, his tone growing more and more worried as he realized what was wrong. Before Sasuke could drop the pen, he grabbed Sasuke and a pair of pants. The raven howled in pain as Naruto ran both of them out of the house and through the heavy traffic.

The light rain pelted his naked torso and soaked Sasuke's pajamas, but Naruto didn't stop running. Even when cars honked and loud swears were shouted at him, he sprinted down the street and back towards the hospital. As the burn settled in his muscles and lungs, Naruto neared the hospital. The busy parking lot was crossed in minutes. He skidded to a stop in the opened doors, the smooth laminate tiles pulled the flags of skin from the bottom of his feet but he didn't stop till he was in front of the desk.

"Sasuke Uchiha, stomach pains, coughing up blood, and I have no idea what else just please help him."

Naruto spewed his words, the man sitting there hurried called forth a gurney and ordered doctors to take him to room 103 on floor seven.

"Take a seat. We'll let you know when he's stabilized."

Naruto hesitantly nodded, the adrenaline from the run and worry now draining from his system, leaving him tired, out of breath, and in pain. He hissed at every step, the blood on the bottoms of his feet smeared on the floor. He slumped in a seat, his gaze locking on the flickering light bulb within the ceiling.

"Do you need medical attention?"

The nurse asked approaching him with a simple medical kit in hand. His pale green eyes stared numbly at Naruto who shrugged at the option. His mind still too focused on Sasuke to worry about himself.

"Sure....Gaara."

Naruto straightened his legs and let Gaara do whatever he needed.

"Did you run all the way here?"

Gaara asked pulling out small bits of rock with a pair of tweezers.

"Yeah, I don't have a car and I couldn't wait for a taxi. Ambulances are expensive and I wasn't thinking quite right. I'm a fucking idiot."

Naruto pressed his hands to his face. The embarrassment of the situation flooding to his face.

"What I don't understand is why you would risk getting hit by a car and diseases from the streets for someone."

Gaara dabbed the bloody flesh with a disinfectant soaked rag. Naruto shrugged in reply.

"I care for him. Simple as that."

Gaara looked back at him, his dark red hair similar to the color of the once white rag. A low hum resonated from his throat. He grabbed the gauze and wrapped his feet tightly.

"Don't strain your feet. You'll open up your wounds if you do."

He packed up his things and left. Naruto sat in the waiting room in only a pair of lose sweat pants and gauze wrapped feet. He hunched over, resting his head in his hands. The pads of his fingers rubbed deep circles into his temples as he tried to keep the oncoming headache away.

"I'm such a fucking idiot. I should've taken him in sooner. Why did I take him home so soon. Fuck."

Naruto grumbled to himself. The woman next to him glanced his way with a look of displeasure. Naruto ignored her in turn of his self hating mumblings.

-

Sasuke laid half unconscious on the gurney. The passing lights mixed with the foggy black spots. The loud voices melted with the unstoppable thudding within his chest and head, as the feeling of pure unaltered dread bled together with the heavy nausea. He mumbled something about the possibility of throwing up, but Naruto didn't seem to hear him.

Then Sasuke felt the many pairs of cold hands grabbing at his limbs. Pulling open his eyes, shinning lights in his pupils. Dabbing cold rags on his forehead. Checking his temperature and pulse. The cold air clung to his feverish covered flesh.

_'Where's Naruto?'_

_'Why are these people touching me?'_

_'Naruto wouldn't let them touch me like this.'_

One voice cut through his haze. Sending shots of fear through him.

"Why is he covered in gauze? Remove it."

Sasuke wanted to lash out. To get away. But the stabbing pains, aching throbs, heavy limbs, burning sensations, and everything else piled on top of him, kept him laid flat and immobile on his new hospital bed.

-

He could feel the cold at whole new volumes now. The gauze was unrolled from his body by the nurses and thrown away. His body bare, visible, and vulnerable.

Sasuke wanted to pull the covers over his head. Hide away from the world. Hide his skin away from the judging eyes of everyone. Keep the disgusting things He had done to him locked away and secret. But he couldn't. Not with the drugs pumping through his system.

The opening and closing of the door brought his attention to the female doctor standing there. She held a clip board in her hands and a pen behind her ear.

"Hello, how are you doing, sir?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak but quickly snapped it shut. He swallowed the taste in his mouth, his eyes darting around for something to write on and with. The woman saw his distress and began asking more questions.

"Can you speak?"

Sasuke shook his head no. She 'oh'd, then began searching as well. She pulled out a tablet of note paper and a pen from her pocket.

"Here, dear. Write what you need."

Sasuke thanked her with an appreciative nod of his head. He held the covers up to his neck with one hand as his other wrote sloppily on the paper. His fingers held the pen weakly, his limbs not moving like he wished them not quite yet.

"Why did you remove my skin?"

The woman read his message aloud. Her tone questioning and confused.

"Was the gauze your skin?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Your skin is nearly perfectly healthy. You don't need it, dear. Now, some of my questions, where is your guardian? I understand you've be placed in protective housing with an officer?"

Sasuke began writing.

"Naruto Uzumaki, he brought me here so he should still be here. He can wait for a couple hours."

Sasuke glanced at the clock. Only a couple of hours had passed since he'd woken up, meaning, he's only been here an hour or so.

"Oh deary, you've been unconscious for three days. We haven't seen Mr. Uzumaki since your first day. In fact, it was after we delivered you status report that he walked out the doors."

Sasuke froze at her words. Naruto was fed up with him. He didn't want him anymore. He had simply stood up and left. Left him alone in the freezing cold of his hospital room.

"Oh, I didn't mean to say that so rudely. We can contact the department he works at and get a hold of him. Don't worry, dear. I'm sure it's just the stress. It's not everyday someone has to run through the wet streets get to hospital. I'll be right back, just fill out this paper work and get some rest."

The woman dropped the paperwork in his lap before walking out, his expression pulled tight. Sasuke held in the pen in his hand loosely, head too light and empty to focus on the questions.

_'Where are you, Naruto?'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully y'all haven't been waiting too long for this update? I had a lot of exams, major papers, make up work, and general stress so writing wasn't really an option? So I'm about 8 updates behind and I hope to make them up? Or switch my update schedule around so it doesn't put too much pressure on me? I have 87 fics in total that I cycle through and as much I focus on my main three, I do have another three that I've started. (and written over 4k each) I'm interested in posting them but I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up with six fics to keep updating semi-regularly . So it's up to you guys. If you want to read some more of my god awful fanfiction then say so. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and putting up with my sketchy updating. I appreciate you all ❤


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